30 under 30: A Pilot and Tango Dancer Investigates Nature with a Particle Detector on the International Space Station

The annual Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting brings a wealth of scientific minds to the shores of Germany’s Lake Constance. Every summer at Lindau, dozens of Nobel Prize winners exchange ideas with hundreds of young researchers from around the world. Whereas the Nobelists are the marquee names, the younger contingent is an accomplished group in its own right. In advance of this year’s meeting, which focuses on physics, we are profiling several promising attendees under the age of 30. The profile below is the 26th in a series of 30.

Name: Tansu DaylanAge: 22Born: Istanbul, TurkeyNationality: Turkish

Current position: Undergraduate student at Middle East Technical University (pursuing second bachelor's degree in physics)Education: Bachelor’s degree in electrical-electronics engineering from Middle East Technical University

What is your field of research?
I am working in AMS-02 experiment, which is a particle detector positioned on the International Space Station. My research concentrates on the high energy photon spectrum measurement. Towards that purpose I study the lepton/hadron separation and track resolution performance of the detector.

What drew you to physics, and to that research area in particular?
I love to observe and physics is clearly the art of observation and reasoning. Indeed it is my life stance to struggle for a deeper understanding and appreciation of Nature and to set myself free from prejudices about her.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
My ideal scientific endeavor is to concentrate my work on the problem of dark energy. The mystery that such an object offers just coincides with my curiosity.

Who are your scientific heroes?
Richard Feynmann and Carl Sagan are clearly the two great minds that shaped up my world view. They manifest the brilliance of human mind.

What is your dream experiment?

I would love to devise such a telescope that would render the first stars ever born clearly visible and explainable. The experimental observation of such primordial systems will eventually lead to the knowledge of the ultimate fate of the universe.

What activities outside of physics do you most enjoy?
I am a private pilot and I fly single engine airplanes. Earth looks beautiful from up there and I believe my passion for flight partially stems from my love for our Earth and the Nature. Secondly I love Tango dancing and try to practice it as frequently as possible.

What do you hope to gain from this year’s Lindau meeting?
Great minds are not great only because they solve problems. They also inspire new generations. Hence my expectation from this meeting is to steer my enthusiasm to contemporary physics problems that suit my abilities and interests the best.

Are there any Nobelists whom you are particularly excited to meet or learn from at Lindau?
I am particularly excited to meet David Gross. His intellect has helped illuminate uncharted territories in theoretical physics, however there remain more questions to ask.